LeBron James addresses free-agency future after Finals sweep

After falling in the NBA Finals, LeBron James revealed how he suffered a serious hand injury after Game 1, what factors will go into his free agency decision this summer and why he came back to Cleveland.
USA TODAY Sports

LeBron James leaves the floor after what might be his last game with the Cavaliers.(Photo: David Richard, USA TODAY Sports)

CLEVELAND – If Game 4 of the NBA Finals was LeBron James’ final game as a Cleveland Cavalier, he left Quicken Loans Arena without one of those iconic games that have defined his career.

There were reasons for that, starting with the Golden State Warriors, who won their third title in four seasons – all against James’ Cavs – and James’ badly bruised right hand, a self-inflicted injury he sustained after punching a whiteboard following Cleveland’s Game 1 overtime loss to Golden State.

James had just 23 points, eight assists and seven rebounds on Friday, concluding his 15th NBA season with another outstanding playoff run. He averaged 34 points, 9.1 rebounds, nine assists, 1.4 steals and shot 53.9% from the field with four triple-doubles and 15 double-doubles.

He took a team that no one thought would make it out of the East to the Finals once again. It was Cleveland’s fourth consecutive appearance and James’ eighth, a remarkable achievement that includes three championships – two with Miami and one with Cleveland.

The question now: Where will James play next season? And while speculation has begun, James said after losing to the Warriors 108-85 that he does not know if that was his last game in a Cavs uniform.

“I have no idea at this point,” James said.

And he means it. James has not decided where he will play next season, a person with direct knowledge of James’ plans told USA TODAY Sports. The person requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.

Teams, including Cleveland, have emerged as potential suitors for James: the Cavs, Philadelphia, Houston and the Los Angeles Lakers. New York and San Antonio have longshot chances, but don’t discount James’ fondness for Madison Square Garden and the Knicks mystique and Spurs coach Gregg Popovich.

If James leaves – and that’s no guarantee – Cleveland fans will be disappointed, but they won’t have the same vitriol as they had when he left for Miami in 2010.

James returned to Cleveland to win a championship for the Cavs, the city and northeast Ohio, and he did that.

“I came back because I felt like I had some unfinished business,” James said. “To be able to be a part of a championship team two years ago with the team that we had and in the fashion that we had is something I will always remember. Honestly, I think we'll all remember that. It ended a drought for Cleveland of 50-plus years, so I think we'll all remember that in sports history.”

A title and his philanthropic endeavors that help kids in the region make James beloved. He is northeast Ohio's favorite son for eternity.

James, 33, has made clear his decision will be based on basketball and family. Competing for titles is still high on James’ priority list.

“I still have so much to give to the game,” James said. “Like I said, when you have a goal and you're able to accomplish that goal. For me personally, it made me even more hungry to continue to try to win championships, and I still want to be in championship mode. I think I've shown this year why I will still continue to be in championship mode.”

He also went in-depth about the role his family will play. He has a teen son (LeBron Jr.), a preteen son (Bryce) and a toddler daughter (Zhuri). James and his wife, Savannah, are from nearby Akron.

“Understanding especially where my boys are at this point in their age – they were a lot younger the last time I made a decision like this four years ago,” James said. “When I decide what I'm going to do with my future, my family and the folks that have been with me for the last, you know, 20 years, pretty much, will have a say-so. Then it ultimately will come down to me, and so we'll see what happens.”

As James stated on Thursday and reiterated Friday, he wants to play with talented players who have high basketball IQs. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said James also will also take into account ownership's management style.

So, he will take all those factors and find a team. Maybe the same team. Maybe a new team.

James exited the game with 4:03 left in the fourth quarter. He congratulated the Warriors who were on the court, and as he left the court for the locker room, he stopped to shake hands with his sons.

He did his postgame interview and left the arena with his sons and confidants – the very people who will be part of James’ decision-making process.